Godspell Lyrics

Prologue 1971

Prologue 2001

Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord

Save the People

Day by Day

Learn Your Lessons Well

Beautiful City (1973)

Beautiful City (1993)

On The Willows

Finale

Day by Day(Reprise)

PROLOGUE (Tower of Babble) 1971 version

Gilmer-Socrates

Wherefore, O men of Athens,

I say to you

Therefore, acquit me or not

But whichever you do

I shall never alter my ways

Never adjust my approach to this maze

Never reform til the end of my days

Even if I have to die many times.

(The theme music is here again.)

Jeffrey-Thomas Aquinas

God is apprehended by imagination, intuition, reason, touch, opinion, sense, and name

(And so on)

While on quite the other hand, we find we can't begin to

Understand him, so to some it seems a shame

To go on

But he is all things in all

And he is nothing in any

He is often found in one thing small

Conversely, he is often missed in many.

Joanne-Martin Luther

God almighty has made our rulers mad

God almighty has turned our people bad

For the German nobility, with typical agility,

Have so applied their skill at egregious laws

That the people are lead astray; they feel beholden to obey

I may be just the German way, but God, it gives one pause.

(The theme music is heard again.)

Lamar-DaVinci

The rise of man...

Sonia-Gibbon

The decline of Rome...

Da Vinci & Gibbon

Was natural...

Sonia-Gibbon

And inevitable...

Lamar-DaVinci

Man is so levitable!

Sonia-Gibbon

Instead of inquiring

Why Rome was destroyed...

Lamar-DaVinci

Instead of admiring

Man's filling of the void.

Da Vinci & Gibbon

We should rather be surprised

Lamar-DaVinci

That God had man so tyrannized

Sonia-Gibbon

That Rome remained so strong

Lamar-DaVinci

... Man will be strong

Da Vinci & Gibbon

So long

Robin-Frederic Nietzsche

What...

Is noble

Nowadays?

Peggy-Jean Paul Sartre

Atheistic existential-

Ism which I represent is

More coherent - I do believe it...

Herb-Buckminster Fuller

Man is a complex of patterns, of processes...

Peggy-Jean Paul Sartre

There is no such thing as human

Nature, not in all or few men,

Since there is no God to conceive it...

Herb-Buckminster Fuller

Man is a complex of patterns, of processes...

(Fuller continues speaking as the theme music is heard again, softly.)

I live on Earth at present, and I don't know what I am.

I know that I am not a category

I am not a thing - a noun

I seem to be a verb, an evolutionary process-

An integral function of the universe.

All

So high

In my

Lovely Ivory Tower of Babel babble, babble, babble, Babble, babble, babble, babble)

high above the

Rabble (Rabble, rabble, rabble, Babble, Rabble, babble, babble, rabble, babble)

Greatest mind of history

Solving life's sweet mystery

So listen to me (so listen to me)

Know how life should be (know how life should be)

Oh, what does it matter if they don't agree?

PROLOGUE (Tower of Babble) 2001 version

Socrates

Wherefore, O men of Athens,

I say to you

Therefore, acquit me or not

But whichever you do

I shall never alter my ways

Never adjust my approach to this maze

Never reform til the end of my days

Even if I have to die many times.

Thomas Aquinas

God is apprehended by imagination, intuition, reason, touch, opinion, sense, and name

(And so on)

While on quite the other hand, we find we can't begin to

Understand him, so to some it seems a shame

To go on

But he is all things in all

And he is nothing in any

He is often found in one thing small

Conversely, he is often missed in many.

Gallileo

God endows us with sense and intellect.

God endows us with reason we neglect.

And despite the abolition by the current inquisition,

Of any intuition that they don't choose.

When it comes to God, I can’t believe that he designed

A human being with a mind he’s not suppose to use.

DaVinci

The rise of man...

Jonathan Edwards

The wrath of God

DaVinci & Edwards

Is natural...

DaVinci

And explicable

Jonathan Edwards

We are despicable!

DaVinci

If God by inaction

Has given man the stage

Jonathan Edwards

If man’s malefactions

Sends God into a rage

DaVinci & Edwards

We can hardly be aghast

DaVinci

That up we’re raised.

Jonathan Edwards

That down we’re cast.

DaVinci

That man should be sublime....

Jonathan Edwards

That God damns us.....

DaVinci & Edwards

For all time.

L. Ron Hubbard

Nothing is true

Unless observed

By you.

Jean Paul Sartre

Atheistic existential-

Ism which I represent is

More coherent - I do believe it...

Marianne Williamson

The glory of God we are born to make manifest...

Jean Paul Sartre

There is no such thing as human

Nature, not in all or few men,

Since there is no God to conceive it...

Marianne Williamson

The glory of God we are born to make manifest...

(Marianne Williamson continues speaking as the theme music is heard again, softly.)

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. But as we let our own light shine, we give permission for others to do the same. That is why we are, each of us, a child of God.

All

So high

In my

Lovely Ivory Tower of Babel babble, babble, babble, Babble, babble, babble, babble)

high above the

Rabble (Rabble, rabble, rabble, Babble, Rabble, babble, babble, rabble, babble)

Greatest mind of history

Solving life's sweet mystery

So listen to me (so listen to me)

Know how life should be (know how life should be)

Oh, what does it matter if they don't agree?

PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD
Prepare ye the way of the Lord
Prepare ye the way of the Lord
Prepare ye the way of the Lord
Prepare ye the way of the Lord

SAVE THE PEOPLE

When wilt thou save the people?
Oh God of mercy, when?
The people, Lord, the people,
Not thrones and crowns, but men!
Flow'rs of thy heart, o God, are they;
Let them not pass, like weeds, away,
Their heritage a sunless day.
God save the people.

Shall crime bring crime forever,
Strength aiding still the strong?
Is it thy will, o Father,
That men shall toil for wrong?
"No", say thy mountains;
"No", say thy skies;
Man's clouded sun shall brightly rise,
And songs be heard instead of sighs.
God save the people.

When wilt thou save the people?
Oh God of mercy when?
The people, Lord, the people,
Not thrones and crowns, but men!
God save the people, for thine they are,
Thy children as thy angels fair.
God save the people from despair.
God save the people.
Oh God save the people!
God save the people!
Oh God save the people!

When wilt thou save the people?
O God of mercy when?
The people, Lord, the people,
Not thrones and crowns, but men!
God save the people!
Oh God save the people, save us,
For thine they are, for thine they are.
Thy children as they angels fair:
O, God save the people,
Save the people,
God save the people,
From despair.
God save the people!

God save the people,
O, God save the people,
God save the people,
O, God save the people,
God save the people,
God save the people,
God save the people.
God save the people.
God save the people!

DAY BY DAY

Day by day
Day by day
Oh Dear Lord
Three things I pray
To see thee more clearly
Love thee more dearly
Follow thee more nearly
Day by day

LEARN YOUR LESSONS WELL

I can see a swath of sinners settin' yonder
And they're actin' like a pack of fools
Gazin' into space lettin' their minds wander
'Stead of studyin' the good Lord's rules
You better pay attention, build your comprehension
There's gonna be a quiz at your ascention
Not to mention any threat of hell
But if you're smart you'll learn your lessons well!

Ev'ry bright description of the promised land meant
You can reach it if you keep alert
Learnin' every line and every last commandment
May not help you but it couldn't hurt
First ya gotta read 'em then ya gotta heed 'em
Ya never know when you're gonna need 'em
Just as old Elijah said to Jezebel
You better start to learn your lessons well!

BLESS THE LORD

Oh bless the Lord my soul
His grace to thee proclaimed
And all that is within me join
To bless His holy name
Oh yeah
Oh bless the Lord my soul
His mercies bear in mind
Forget not all His benefits
The Lord to thee is kind He will not always chide
He will with patience wait
His wrath is ever slow
To rise
Oh bless the Lord
And ready to abate
And ready to abate
Oh yeah!
Oh bless the lord
Bless the lord my soul
Oh bless the lord my soul! He pardons all thy sins
Prolongs thy feeble breath
He heals thine infirmities
And ransoms thee from death
He clothes thee with his love
Upholds thee with his truth
And like an eagle he renews
The vigor of thy youth And bless His holy name
Whose grace hath made thee whole
Whose love and kindness crowns
Thy days
Oh bless the lord
Bless the lord my soul
Oh bless the lord my soul! Bless the lord my soul
Oh bless the lord my soul!
Bless the lord my soul
Oh bless the lord my soul!
Bless the lord, bless the lord
My soul!
Bless the lord my soul!

ALL FOR THE BEST

When you feel sad, or under a curse
Your life is bad, your prospects are worse
Your wife is sighing, crying,
And your olive tree is dying,
Temples are graying, and teeth are decaying
And creditors weighing your purse...
Your mood and your robe
Are both a deep blue
You'd bet that Job
Had nothin' on you...
Don't forget that when you get to
Heaven you'll be blessed..
Yes, it's all for the best...

Some men are born to live at ease, doing what they please,
Richer than the bees are in honey
Never growing old, never feeling cold
Pulling pots of gold from thin air
The best in every town, best at shaking down
Best at making mountains of money
They can't take it with them, but what do they care?
They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat
Houses on the street where it's sunny..
Summers at the sea, winters warm and free
All of this and we get the rest...
But who is the land for? the sun and the sand for?
You guessed! It's all for the best...

Don't forget that when you get to Heaven you'll be blessed!
Yes, it's all for the.....(all your wrongs will be redressed..)
Yes, it's all for the.....(you must never be distressed....)
Yes, it's all for the.....(someone's got to be oppressed!)
Yes, it's all for the best!!!

ALL GOOD GIFTS

We plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the land..
But it is fed and watered by God's almighty hand..
He sends us snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain...
The breezes and the sunshine, and soft refreshing rain...

All good gifts around us
Are sent from Heaven above
So thank the Lord, oh thank the Lord for all his love...

We thank thee then, O Father, for all things bright and good,
The seedtime and the harvest, our life our health our food,
No gifts have we to offer for all thy love imparts
But that which thou desirest, our humble thankful hearts!

All good gifts around us
Are sent from Heaven above..
So thank the Lord, oh thank the Lord for all his love..

I really wanna thank you Lord!

LIGHT OF THE WORLD

You are the light of the world!
You are the light of the world!
But if that light is under a bushel,
Brrr, it's lost something kind of crucial
You got to stay bright to be the light of the world

You are the salt of the earth
You are the salt of the earth
But if that salt has lost it's flavor
It ain't got much in its favor
You can't have that fault and be the salt of the earth!

(chorus):
So let your light so shine before men
Let your light so shine
So that they might know some kindness again
We all need help to feel fine (let's have some wine!)

You are the city of God
You are the city of God
But if that city's on a hill
It's kinda hard to hide it well
You've got to stay pretty in the city of God

(chorus):
So let your light so shine before men
Let your light so shine
So that they might know some kindness again
We all need help to feel fine (let's have some wine!)

You are the light of the world
You are the light of the world
But the tallest candlestick
Ain't much good without a wick
You've got to stay bright to be the light of the world or
You've got to live right to be the light of the world

TURN BACK O MAN

Turn back, O man
Forswear thy foolish ways
Old now is earth
And none may count her days

Yet thou, her child
Whose head is crowned with flames
Still will not hear
Thine inner God proclaims

Turn back, O man (is your seat comfortable sir?) (mm, I like that)
Turn back, O man (is my seat comfortable sir?) (Handle with care)
Turn back, O man (can you take it?)
Forswear thy foolish ways
(See ya later I'm going to the front of the thee-ay-ter)
(Hold me while I slip into something more comfortable)

Earth might be fair
And all men glad and wise
Age after age their tragic empires rise
Built while they dream
And in that dreaming weep
Would man but wake
From out his haunted sleep

Turn back, O man...
Turn back, O man... (hard as a rock)
Turn back, O man...
Forswear thy foolish ways

Earth shall be fair
And all her people one
Not till that hour
Shall God's whole will be done

Now, even now
Once more from earth to sky
Peals forth in joy
Man's old undaunted cry
Earth shall be fair
And all her people one

C'mere Jesus, I got something to show ya!
(chorus repeat first verse)
Forswear thy foolish ways!

ALAS FOR YOU

Alas alas for you
Lawyers and pharisees
Hypocrits that you be
Searching for souls and fools to forsake them
You travel the land you scour the sea
After you've got your converts you make them
Twice as fit for hell!
As you are yourselves!

Alas, alas for you
Lawyers and pharisees
Hypocrits that you are
Sure that the kingdom of Heaven awaits you
You will not venture half so far
Other men that might enter the gates you
Keep from passing through!
Drag them down with you!
You snakes, you viper's brood
You cannot escape being Devil's food!
I send you prophets, I send you preachers
Sages and rages and ages of teachers
Nothing can bar your mood

Alas, alas for you
Lawyers and pharisees
Hypocrits to a man
Sons of the dogs who murdered the prophets
Finishing off what your fathers began
You don't have time to scorn and to scoff
It's getting very late!
Vengence doesn't wait!
You snakes, you viper's brood
You cannot escape being Devil's food!
I send you prophets, I send you preachers
Sages and rages and ages of teachers
Nothing can bar your mood

Blind guides, blind fools
The blood you spilt
On you will fall!
This nation, this generation
Will bear the guilt of it all!

Alas, alas alas for you!
Blind fools!!

BY MY SIDE

Where are you going?
Where are you going?
Can you take me with you?
For my hand is cold
And needs warmth
Where are you going?

Far beyond where the horizon lies
Where the horizon lies
And the land sinks into mellow blueness
Oh please, take me with you

Let me skip the road with you
I can dare myself
I can dare myself
I'll put a pebble in my shoe
And watch me walk (watch me walk)
I can walk
I can walk!

I shall call the pebble Dare
I shall call the pebble Dare
We will walk, we will talk together
We will talk about walking
Dare shall be carried
And when we both have had enough
I will take him from my shoe, singing
"Meet your new road!"
Then I'll take your hand
Finally glad
Finally glad
That you are here
By my side

By my side
By my side
By my side

(Spoken- Judas)
Then the man they called Judas Iscariot
Went to the chief priests, and said
"What will you give me to betray Him to you?"
They paid him thirty pieces of silver.

(Spoken- Peggy)
And from that moment, he began to look out for an opportunity
To betray Him.

By my side
By my side
By my side
By my side

WE BESEECH THEE

Father, hear thy children's call
Humbly at thy feet we fall
Prodigals confessing all
We beseech thee, hear us!

We thy call have disobeyed
Into paths of sin have strayed
And repentence have delayed
We beseech thee, hear us!

Come sing about Love!
That made us first to be
Come sing about Love!
That made the stone and tree
Come sing about Love!
That draws us lovingly
We beseech thee, hear us!

Sick! We come come to thee for cure
Guilty! We seek thy mercy sure
Evil! We long to be made pure
We beseech thee, hear us!
Blind! We pray that we may see
Bound! We pray to be made free
Stained! We pray for sanctity
We beseech thee, hear us!

Come sing about Love!
That made us first to be
Come sing about Love!
That made the stone and tree
Come sing about Love!
That draws us lovingly
We beseech thee, hear us!

By the gracious saving call
Spoken tenderly to all
Who have shared man's guilt and fall
We beseech thee, hear us!
By the love that longs to bless
Pitying our sore distress
Leading us to holiness
We beseech thee, hear us!
Grant us all from earth to rise
And to strain with eager eyes
Towards the promised Heavenly prize
We beseech thee, hear us!

Come sing about Love!
That made us first to be
Come sing about Love!
That made the stone and tree
Come sing about Love!
That draws us lovingly
We beseech thee, hear us!

BEAUTIFUL CITY (1973)

Come sing me sweet rejoicing
Come sing me love
We're not afraid of voicing
All the things
We're dreaming of
Oh, high and low,
And everywhere we go

We can build
A beautiful city
Yes we can
Oh yes we can
We can build
A beautiful city
Call it out
And call it the city of man

We don't need alabaster
We don't need chrome
We've got our special plaster
Take my hand (Take my hand)
I'll take you home (I'll take you home!)
We see nations rise
In each other's eyes (in each other's eyes!)

We can build (we can build)
A beautiful city (a beautiful city)
Yes we can
Oh yes we can
We can build (we can build)
A beautiful city (a beautiful city)
Call it out
And call it the city of man

Come sing me sweet rejoicing
Come sing me love
We're not afraid of voicing
All the things (all the things)
We're dreaming of (we're dreaming of)
Oh, high and low,
And everywhere we go (everywhere we go)

We can build (we can build)
A beautiful city (a beautiful city)
Yes we can
Oh yes we can
We can build (we can build)
A beautiful city (a beautiful city)
Call it out
And call it the city of man

BEAUTIFUL CITY (1993)

Out of the ruins and rubble
Out of the smoke
Out of our night of struggle
Can we see a ray of hope?
One pale thin ray
Reaching for the day

We can build a beautiful city
Yes, we can: yes, we can
We can build a beautiful city
Not a city of angels
But we can build a city of man

We may not reach the ending
But we can start
Slowly but truly mending
Brick by brick, heart by heart
Now, maybe now
We start learning how

We can build a beautiful city
Yes, we can: yes, we can
We can build a beautiful city
Not a city of angels
But we can build a city of man

When your trust is all but shattered
When your your faith is all but killed
You can give up, bitter and battered
Or you can start to build

A beautiful city
Yes, we can: yes, we can
We can build a beautiful city
Not a city of angels
But finally a city
Of man

ON THE WILLOWS

On the willows, there
We hung up our lives
For our captors there
Require
Of us songs
And our tormentors mirth
On the willows, there
We hung up our lives
For our captors there
Require
Of us songs
And our tormentor's mirth
Saying:
Sing us one
Of the songs of Zion
Sing us one
Of the songs of Zion
But how can we sing?
Sing the Lord's songs?
In a foreign land?

FINALE

Oh God, I'm bleeding
Oh God, I'm bleeding
Oh God, you're bleeding

Oh God, I'm dying
Oh God, I'm dying
Oh God, you're dying

Oh God, I'm dead
Oh God, I'm dead
Oh God, you're dead
Oh God, you're dead

Long live God, long live God
Long live God, long live God
Long live God, long live God
Prepare ye, the way of the Lord (Long live God, long live God)
Prepare ye, the way of the Lord (Long live God, long live God)
Prepare ye, the way of the Lord (Long live God, long live God)

Day By Day(Reprise)

Day by day
Day by day
Oh dear Lord
Three things I pray
To see thee more clearly (day by day!)
Love thee more dearly (day by day!)
Follow thee more nearly (day by day!)
Day by day (day by day!)
Day by day (day by day!)
Day by day (day by day!)

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